Driving Anxiety

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I received driving lessons for my 18th birthday in December, and since then I have had 4/5 2 hour lessons.

And what I've learnt from this, is that driving completely terrifies me!

I have massive amounts of anxiety anyway, so I always knew that I would be a bit anxious the first few times I got into the car.

But this is like the worst anxiety that I've ever had!

I think the main problem is the control. I know most people have panic attacks of anxiety problems when they fear that they have no control over something. But for me, the prospect of having full control over this car is the most scary thing.

It probably sounds stupid, but like, when I touch the accelerator and the car moves, I just find it incredible weird. I have never had that kind of control before and having it for the first time was too much for me.

Even thinking about an upcoming lesson makes me really anxious because I'm scared of losing control of the car and, maybe, causing an accident or something. And in the back of my mind, I know that this will probably never happen because my instructor has a clutch and brake to stop me from doing anything stupid, but this doesn't make me feel better.

I am the first person out of my group of friends to learn to drive a manual car. One of them started with manual and switched to automatic, and the rest of them haven't started, so I have no idea if my anxieties are normal or if I'm being completely irrational.

I have a lot of problems with the clutch on a manual car, which makes me envy the fact that most (if not all) of American cars are automatic. Not only are automatic cars more expensive to buy in the UK, but the lessons for automatic cars are a lot more expensive too, so I don't think it's worth it.

If you have any advice, please please leave it in the comments because I need all the help I can get! With driving, but also with anxiety in general!

Thank you for reading!

Comment below how you feel about driving!

Keep Smiling - Lou xx

Comments

  1. Unknown26 January 2015 at 20:55

    I'm starting driving lessons soon and I'm really nervous. My advice (sorry if it doesn't help) is take a few lessons with family members too so your around people you trust in a scary situation. Good luck xxx

    http://izzyk1998.blogspot.co.uk/

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  2. Unknown26 January 2015 at 21:39

    I was the exact same! It's completely normal- don't worry. I just kept reminding myself that, even though I knew I wouldn't, if I did cause an accident I was never going quick enough for it to be serious. Your actual driving test is so much easier than your lessons and once you've passed, driving is even simpler! Try not to worry about it- I know it's difficult but keep at it in your manual car. It's worth it in the end <3

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  3. Meg27 January 2015 at 00:49

    I personally have never had an issue with driving for the most part, but my best friend did and she eventually gave up learning because it made her feel so anxious. However, a year on, she really regrets not sticking to it and wishes that she had changed instructors. I really think that who you learn to drive with is a big factor, as it needs to be someone who has a calming presence. At the end of the day, your instructor does have control of the vehicle also, so they can stop you if anything does go wrong - but obviously you've got to try your best not to get into a situation where something can! I don't know if it'll help, but for me it always makes me feel a bit better to put things into perspectives. Think of how many people all around the country are learning to drive. Think about how many people can drive already. If all of those people can do it - why can't you?! It might sound a bit like tough love but it always makes me feel a bit better!
    Another tip that may be helpful is that my stepdad took me go-karting before I started learning to drive so that I could get that initial feeling of 'wow I'm in control of an actual moving vehicle' out of my system in a really fun way - it's hard to panic about that when you've got a 7 year old brother lapping you with ease!
    I would love to promise you that it gets better but I don't know that, but I really hope it does! Try to stay positive about it and remain calm :)
    Megan x meguana.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unknown27 January 2015 at 00:55

    Igot driving lessons for my 17th birthday in may 2013 and i was that scared of driving i didnt have any lessons until the following January, by the time i'd spoke to my instructor he talked me through every little thing we done?
    Ask your driving instructor to do that? like warn you that youv'e got a round about coming up way before the round about comes up so youv'e got plenty of time to take a deep breath and think about how to prepare the car.
    Once you get the hang of it driving is simple but don't let anxiety get in the way! (i know that's a hard thing to do!) Don't switch to an Automatic becuase they are easier! that's just basically cheating! just keep at it and i'm sure you will perfect driving in no time at all!

    Just Another Girl xxx

    http://heyjustanothergirlonline.blogspot.com.au/

    ReplyDelete
  5. Unknown27 January 2015 at 19:19

    I've just turned 18 and i've been driving for about a year and I used to get really really nervous when driving. I've found that the main thing is to keep practising, you never fully learn to drive until you've passed your test and are driving on your own without someone constantly telling you what to do. I still get anxious sometimes and for a long time I battled with hill starts, I'd sometimes choose my route to avoid any hills but eventually you have to do it and as long as you stay calm and take your time it should go to plan! I've found that I am most comfortable driving in a specific pair of shoes that aren't too grippy on the pedals and that gives me more confidence that I'm in more control as i can feel the pedals more.

    I hope your lessons go okay, just keep going with it! you'll get more confident the more you practice!

    Charlotte xo

    http://lifebegins-now.blogspot.co.uk/

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